A New Chapter of Ministry: My Ordination

The last few days have been incredibly special for our family. On the 7th of June, by God's grace, I was ordained, and at the same time, many of you also got to meet our little daughter, Athaliah Stella Shemron. To begin this new chapter of ministry while holding this precious new life in my arms is a blessing I can hardly put into words.

For me, ordination is about a way of life – a vocation shaped through relationships, witness, service, and faith.

Roots in a Pastor’s Home

I was born to Rev. Saduri Jayraj, a priest of the Karnataka Central Diocese, and Mrs Vasanthi Saduri. I have witnessed ministry in its many forms from my earliest years. I still remember Dad sitting me down and teaching me about the altar at Wesley Tamil Church in Ashok Nagar, and later about the reverence of the pulpit at St. Paul’s Church in Shivajinagar. I also remember the lessons he taught me in all the churches he served and the challenges he faced there. Those moments remain vivid memories from my childhood.

I watched with awe as he faithfully led worship week after week for more than twenty-five years. I remember pastor‑uncles and aunties filling our home with laughter, fellowship, conversations about sermons, church life, and the challenges of ministry. For every congregation, they were “Ayyah” and “Ayyeramma,” but for my brother and me, they were simply Uncle and Aunty. Even the Bishop was always “Bishop Uncle” and “Bishop Aunty.” They loved us as their own, and we grew up surrounded by a community that embodied faith in ways both ordinary and profound.

For almost four decades, I have seen the Church from inside and outside, from near and far. There was never a moment when I could completely walk away from it, no matter how much joy or sorrow came my way. The Church has shaped me, challenged me, nurtured me, and sustained me. I carry those lessons of ministry close to my heart.

I am especially moved by the many people who continue to congratulate me while remembering my father. Every such message reminds me that ministry leaves a legacy far beyond titles and positions.

A Word to Fellow Pastors’ Kids

I have great respect for all who discern a call to ministry. Today, I want to especially acknowledge fellow pastors’ kids who choose to enter ministry despite being first‑hand witnesses to the sacrifices, struggles, disappointments, and burdens their parents carried. We know the cost. We have seen it up close. Yet we still choose to say “yes” to God’s call.

My theological education was made possible because of the generosity of the Church. There were times when I could not have paid my fees on my own. When we approached churches within the diocese, they responded generously with scholarships and support. Their investment in my formation became part of the journey that led me to this day.

The Ordination Service – A Moment of Deep Grace

During the ordination service, I found myself constantly looking back and reflecting on the role the Church has played throughout my life. I deeply missed the physical presence of my father and my grandmother, Bhama Sunderraj. Though my mother and my Mama represented them, I know they would have rejoiced to witness this day.

One of the most moving moments of the service was seeing my wife, Rev. Dr B. Silpa Rani, at the altar. As she stood there, she reflected my father’s image in a way I cannot fully explain. When she laid her hand upon me during the ordination prayers, I was overwhelmed with the sense that my father was truly present – blessing me, encouraging me, and passing the baton forward.

This ordination is therefore more than an honour. It is a reminder. It reminds me to embody my father’s humility, his commitment to the people, and his passion for those who struggle and suffer. It calls me to remain faithful to the vocation that has shaped my life.

Gratitude for Those Who Shaped Me

I am grateful for my Sunday School and VBS teachers who first taught me the stories of faith. I remember the Bible quizzes, elocutions, sermons, essays, and countless competitions that shaped my thinking and nurtured my confidence. I thank the many colleagues and friends of my father from the Karnataka Central Diocese whose conversations, encouragement, and affection have accompanied me through the years.

I am deeply thankful to Rt. Rev. P. K. Samuel and Rt. Rev. Dr Vincent Vinod Kumar for their recommendations and support. A special word of gratitude goes to Rt. Rev. S. Vasanthkumar and Rev. Nirmala Vasanthkumar – from my childhood, they helped shape my understanding of pastoral ministry, leadership, and what it means to serve God’s people with humility.

I am grateful to Rt. Rev. Immanuel Dani, who ordained me and welcomed me into this new phase of ministry. I remember with gratitude the support of the officers of the Diocese of Sambalpur (Vice Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Associate Treasurer), and the Ministerial and Executive Committees of both the CSI‑Karnataka Central Diocese and the Diocese of Sambalpur, CNI.

My thanks also go to the classmates, friends, faculty, and communities of United Theological College, North India Institute for Post Graduate Theological Studies, Serampore College, and Bishop’s College. They taught me what to think, how to think, how to question, how to wrestle, and how to search for a deeper faith rooted in Christ.

I remain grateful to all the churches where my father served – the congregations, pastorate committees at various times, Sunday school, youth and women’s fellowships, friends, and well‑wishers – for their constant encouragement every time they said “you would be a pastor someday” or “I see your dad in you.” I am also grateful to the churches that supported my theological education through scholarships and to the congregations that welcomed me into their pulpits and allowed me to learn alongside them.

The National Council of Churches in India and the Student Christian Movement of India played a significant role in shaping my vocation and worldview. Their General Secretaries, colleagues, and friends invested in me through dialogue, trust, and mentorship. The Solidarity Foundation and its Executive Directors kept me grounded in the realities of grassroots communities and constantly reminded me that ministry must be rooted in justice, dignity, and solidarity.

Family: My Foundation

To my friends, relatives, and extended family - thank you for every prayer, message, phone call, and act of encouragement.

To my mum (Mrs Vasanthi Saduri), my brother (Vivian Samson), Metilda, Ethan, Adley, Chislon and to Appa and Amma (my father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law).– Thank you for carrying me through moments when I doubted myself. You have always been there, quietly and faithfully. Your love, warmth, confidence, and tireless support have meant more than words can express. You did everything possible to make this ordination happen – meeting people, speaking with the Bishop, encouraging me, and ensuring that no obstacle stood in the way. I will always remain grateful.

To my brother‑in‑law, Rev. Manas – thank you for your constant encouragement, wise counsel, and unwavering support. Along with Sasmita and your wonderful sons, Ronel and Sonel, you have always made me feel loved and supported. To my sister‑in‑law, Pina (Jasmine) and her husband, Rinku (Ashish) – thank you for being the backbone of the entire event. Your dedication, hard work, and willingness to take responsibility behind the scenes made everything possible. Without your support, managing the event would have been incredibly difficult.

And to my favourite sisters‑in‑law, Priyanka (Sampa) and Akankshya (Annun) – thank you for doing everything within your power to make this day special. Through your affection, care, and tireless efforts, you reminded me that family is not merely something we inherit – it is something that embraces us. You made me feel completely at home. You made me feel that I truly belong.

Looking Ahead

For me, this ordination marks a milestone – a step into pastoral ministry that I have been preparing for since I was ten years old. I hold this vocation with extreme sincerity and commitment to the Church and to the people. This is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to serve God and people. I step into this ministry humbled by the many people who have shaped me and hopeful about what God has in store.

Thank you to everyone who celebrated, prayed, travelled, called, messaged, and shared in our joy. Please continue to pray for me, for my household, and for the journey ahead.

As the prophet Micah reminds us:

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

For me, this calling will always mean standing with those who struggle for life, resisting oppression, and journeying alongside those who seek to live with dignity, hope, and freedom.

#Ordination #Deacon #Gratitude #AthaliahStellaShemron #CalledToServe #Family #FaithJourney

Theological Colleges' Response During COVID

Dear Students, 

The COVID crisis has rampaged lives and killed many. The university is extremely concerned about you, your health, your family members, very specially the academic requirements from your side.

Therefore, kindly submit your "Thesis Synopsis" and your "Thesis" (before you die or mourn the death of your loved ones). This is an academic requirement. 

(If you are alive after the submission of your thesis), kindly look into the website for the details of the semester exams, which will be announced shortly.

Yours Sincerely,

"Your University"

THIS IS THE BRUTALITY OF "THE" INSTITUTIONS!!!

(Not verbatim, but you understand the agony, right??)

You Made Poverty, My Identity

India is a land of many peoples, faiths and cultures. It is second only to China in population. Of this many people a huge number of people still remain poor. Though, it boasts of its cultural and religious heritage, our country still breeds the poor and cultivates their poverty. Well, that is my problem. Poverty. What about it? Or why should I speak about it? I speak because I am that people you made poor. Do not be offended because I say You, you are part of it. Know it! 

As Christians we are preached that “God blesses everyone who seeks after God’s love.” It was okay, only until it lifted us from the dirty place we lived in, but we are made to feel that this dirtiness is because of us. This stench that surrounds us, was because we were lazy. We are dark and ugly because we are the “people of demons.” Discrimination has hit the highest peak, when you auction the “Aseevatha Thattu” (‘blessing plate’) at every church fund raiser, just to show we are unworthy of God’s blessings. Did you ever think if God’s blessings would be materialistic? Did you not know that Jesus was born into poverty, as a homeless child with no place to lay his head? Did you not know that the manger was a shitty stable where God was incarnated? Then, how dare you speak of a gospel only for the rich, discriminating and excluding the poor? 

Poverty is because you held on to what should have reached me and my people so we get out of this imposed “dirtiness”. It is you restricting my people to meagre pay for menial work and creating a mirage of laziness around us who are not given any other jobs, though a few are qualified. You acquired our lands, made huge houses for few to live, accumulated all wealth possible and continue to amass to satisfy your greed. Even in doing charity, you only give away what you once used so we always beg you for mercy and plead for help. You kept us crying out “masters hear us” and you enjoyed the pleasure of sitting on cozy lounges or shedding your fat on treadmills. 

We only see few people to speak for us. But you do not let them live once they threaten your comfort. People like Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa, Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule come and go. They question power structures, and the greed of the wealthy elites. Once they go, we are again stabbed to go back to being dirty. 

God did not will for us to remain in this stench. God did not create us that you trample over and grab what is ours. Yes, God is with us. God lives among those you call dirty, rowdy, poor, and so on, not for us to remain here, but for us to be empowered to grow. This was visible when Jesus spoke to that young man, who could not give up his riches to follow Jesus. Today, you too do the same. James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” If you think only distributing food, old clothes, and essentials during occasions like Christmas, Easter, New Year and COVID19 are enough. You have defiled God enough to keep God poor. God is dirtied when the we are dirtied. God is empowered when the we are empowered. Let these harsh realities pierce through all our hearts, tear us apart like it tore Christ on the cross, and let us all participate in the path toward emancipating all those who are pushed into poverty in front of our eyes, by us. Amen.

*Reflection Inspired by Rev. Raj Kumar Johnwesley, Chennai.

God in Dirty Places

One Monday morning in class, during my theological studies in UTC, the professor asked how many of us went to church? All of us raised our hands in affirmation. Just then the professor asked to which church you went, pointing to a friend of mine. He stammered the name of a church and the professor, jokingly said “he went to BBC”, which means “Bed-side Baptist Church” and all of us had a hearty laughter. The joke literally meant, the friend did not go to church instead slept missing the worship service, that Sunday morning. 

This pandemic is a come-back for several things in life, like the eagerness to meet people, people are seen keeping water and food trays for birds, many staying home to safeguard others, medics, paramedics, police, security personals and other safety ‘warriors’ doing their jobs beyond their strength (not denying that some of them have always done their best), and so much more. And the best part where people are compassionately helping each other, only to show that humanity has a learnt the hard way. Even the church has ventured into a stream it once ridiculed, just so that people may hear the gospel. Making the gospel be heard in places never imagined. 

Most of us are brought-up in Christian traditions were taught that church is essential and that going to church is the utmost important qualification any Christian needs. The hard-hitting Christian norms of wearing the best clothes to church, dressing modest to prayer meetings, being regular to worship services at church etc essentially because, “Church is where God is” follows subsequently. 

From my childhood, I too was always regular to church. I was groomed with the thought that that going to church one-minute late was wrong (every pastor’s child’s lesson). But today going five minutes early to church, for me, is a sin. I have to be in church atleast 25-30 mins early so I can pray, reflect and relax to participate fully in worship. I used to question if God can accept us the way we are, then why should I dress so well for people-sake? If God were to be everywhere, why then should we be so regular to church that we force our children into. I used to reason that, it maybe is necessary for us because parents taught for discipline sake or even to escape from beating if absent. 

However, today, the pandemic has brought the church to my bedstead. I do not need to dress-up well for people sake, I needn’t even brush my teeth, I can just carry my phone to the bathroom or the toilet and still hear the sermon and participate in worship. Not confining God or worship to the phone alone, but the experience of participating in worship from spaces inhospitable to God, somehow gives the feeling that God has ventured into spaces that are dirty. Thus, reinstating God's presence in the shitty and dirty places once considered inhospitable to God, but is now open for God to enter. I still can participate in the church worship wherever I am, with the same spiritual connection, read the bible on my phone and be renewed in my spirit be as dirty as I am, yet still feel accepted by God. Therefore, giving me this amazing sense of being able to allow God be part of my personal spaces that are considered dirty.

Church in Corona times

The Church is a community of people in love with creation and God. God had called this assembly to be a called-out community so as to live a life that does not conform to the standards that the world sets but to live a life worthy of the calling to be in union with God as God is with creation.

Today the world facing a pandemic in the form of the COVID-19, the churches remain closed, people distancing themselves from others, while many others quarantined, giving a distorted look of creation especially humanity that was not meant to be this way. The Church has long lived for centuries now and it has always been dynamic and never static. The contexts keep the Church moving and evolving. But in the process of evolving the church got stuck with somewhere making itself comfortable being static. This had caused the church to practice social distancing and quarantining even before the world spoke of it due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

The Church’s Overcoming Quarantine to Embrace and to Serve

The Church in its own prerogative remained in a state of self-imposed quarantining to keep secure its doctrines, belief-systems, people and also its accumulated wealth. This has caused the church not only to become irreal to the people’s experiences but also made sure it created a wall around to keep the many away from the church. From building stairs, symbolically keep the wheel-chairs away; tabooing cultural practices, keeping cultural elements alienated from worship; criminalizing people, closing doors to the very people the Church was to be a part of; and so on, it isolated itself. Today, with the people, the members of the One body suffering, the church is called to live amidst the people it was meant to serve and not remain in isolation. As Matthew 25:35 onward speaks of church among the people, it needs to redefine its role in the society. Open the doors for the homeless, bring down the walls of discrimination, embracing those in isolation through prayers, meeting their needs, have to be the core of the gospel of the church which Jesus preaches in Matt 25:34-36.

The Church: Socially Dstanced yet Active and Politically Present

When I say the church practiced social distancing it does not mean with reference to what is understood today because of the pandemic, but in being absent from the society and its people. Even today the many churches preach only of a salvation for the soul overshadowing life’s realities of the people, making it irrelevant to the struggles of the people. The Church has been invisible in its political dialogue for better provisions for the people and being in solidarity with the communities in struggle. The Church also went further in imposing a ‘Christian’ culture on people killing local cultures that had already existed. Thus, the church was engulfed with the way in which it approached the people, imposing a theology from above and never gave space for a theology from below. But this pandemic is a reminder for the church to move from such a social-distancing and respond to creation’s cry for liberation.

Today when humanity is struggling to overcome this COVID-19, God calls us to distance ourselves from each other only physically. Always remember, that the church was never the building of the institution but we the members of the one body into whom we are baptized. Therefore, we the members, ought to be inquisitive in suffering, remain politically present and socially active, because the Church existed, the Church is present, but in our core be hospitable to those in need. And this way, the Church will remain and sustain until the coming of our lord.

May this phase of uncertainty, be for us signs of hope and renewal of life that God sustains. Amen

Easter 2020: The Church and COVID-19

My brother, like my late father, fasts from non-veg during lent every year, planned a grand meal set for Easter this time as well. While a grand Easter celebration was in line, down came Corona and stole his Easter away. This pandemic has left us perplexed with the sudden change in lifestyle, with everyone staying indoors, nations locked-down, the homeless stranded, the hungry starving, no traffic, the earth breathing fresher air and so on, both good and harsh visible realities of life. 

This weird, yet baffled experience, kindles several contradictions of life’s realities and faith reflections, like parents using WhatsApp and Facebook which they complained of being the only reason for everything ‘affecting or deceiving’ their child; IT/MNC employees waiting to go to office, which they once craved for ‘freedom’ from; Churches being closed which were once claimed to be always ‘open,’ preachers active on social media, they once claimed ‘evil;’ and many more. All live only with this hope that, it will all change. 

The celebration of Easter is an important event in the Christian calendar. It is also known as the starting point of Christian faith, the very reason why Christians go to church on the first day of the week. The first question on the first Easter morn as recorded in verse Luke 24:5b, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” asked to the women who came to see Jesus’ body, sets the tone for the faith-revival that is to follow. They are explained that he is not there, but risen as he had already spoken to them in Galilee. This rising from the dead was a fulfillment of the many prophecies found, for example, we read in John 2:19 Jesus replied “destroy the temple and I will raise it up in three days.” Though he was referring to his own self, the people misinterpreted it to the temple of Jerusalem. This way of misinterpretation has always existed even till today. 

The church today is confined to the walls of the structure that we meet in on every Sunday. The outbreak of the COVID-19 saw many Christians wage war against the virus by keeping the doors of the church open and also risking to gather in groups for worship services. However, the inevitable lock-down came and everyone had to move on from this understanding of the church. Paul speaks of the Church as the body of Christ in Romans 12:5; Eph 3:6; Col 1:18. The understating that the structure is the body of Christ is a common understanding for all. But the lesson from the pandemic only made it clear that the structure is not the body of Christ but, “we are.” 

The Church, therefore, ought to exist not with walls but be present among the living. It needs to transcend walls and gates of the physical structure and move beyond the church to realize itself among creation. The creation is the church God created. All are members of that one body to whom all belong. The tomb could not hold the body of Christ. The same way the building that we called church could not hold the Church. It has begun to transcend the walls. The Church becomes visible among the people in distributing daily essentials and food, conducting worship services on the internet, reaching out and praying for those affected victims and so on. This Easter, is a reminder that going further the church needs to be understood not as a mere physical structure where people gather but the very creation that worships God in its own expression of life.

Wishing you and your family a blessed Easter. May the risen lord journey with us in these uncertain times and grant us the strength to believe that life in God will be sustained. Amen

Embracing people and Re-building homes: a Mission Agenda

Introduction

Migration and Human Trafficking have been grave issues rattling the human community in recent times. Migration is, simply put, movement from one place to another. It can be assisted or independent movement. It can be international or within a country. It can be by land, sea or air. It is everything from tourism to moving somewhere for work. “Expats” are also migrants. It can be motivated by a dream of a better life, and it can be something someone is made to do against his or her will. Migration can be for survival and for pleasure. It can be easy or very difficult. A migrant’s aims might be met, or s/he may face hurdles and unexpected outcomes. Migrants can be old or young, any gender, any race, any nationality. Migration is very much determined by economic and trade as well as by political relations. Globalization fosters conditions that push people to migrate in search of work opportunities. However, new security discourses have made that movement more dangerous and complex, particularly following increased counter-terrorism efforts.[1]

Human Trafficking:

A Definition of Human Trafficking:

“Trafficking basically means ‘trade’ especially illegal. It is also described as ‘the transportation of goods, the coming and going of the people or goods by road, rail, air, sea, etc. Trafficking in Persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or of receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another persons, for the purpose of exploitation.”[2]

Human Trafficking is prominent basically for three reasons namely, Sex Trafficking: using force, fraud, coercion, women and children are made to indulge in commercial sex and can be seen in brothels, dance bars, massage parlors, pornography etc, are moved from their respective places to another place for financial and political gains. Labor Trafficking: replacing people and children by use of force, fraud, coercion, a person is made to provide involuntary labor service or is paid less than what is due. Organ Trade: is another important issue shaking the Third World countries. Organ trade is one of the fast spreading illegal trades and it mainly targets Children, women, and others of the vulnerable sections of the society, since they are healthier.

Human Trafficking is a criminal activity against the State and against the Victim. It is against the state as it causes corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and forgery of documents. It is also against the victims as it leads to illegal detention; bonded labor; kidnapping; murder; injury; sexual assault; rape; torture; cruelty; forced abortion; forced marriage; sale of organs, etc.[3]

The 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, released by the US Secretary State, Hillary Clinton said: “India is a source; destination and transit country for men, women and Children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.”[4] The 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report observed that in recent years, there has been an increase of sex trafficking to sub cities and India is a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. According to International Labor Organizations (ILO), Human trafficking in India is estimated around 12.3 million mainly for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.[5]

Factors responsible for Trafficking:

a. Poverty & Economic Hardship; b. Increased wealth gap; c. Un-ending demand for prostitution; d. Free market but no effective laws to tackle trafficking; e. Growth of criminal networks; f. Technology especially Internet and satellite channels; g. Difficulty in prosecuting due to the silence of victims[6]

Magnitude of the Problem in India:

In India, a large number of Children are trafficked not only for the sex ‘trade’ but also for other forms of non-sex based exploitation that includes servitude of various kinds, as domestic labour industrial labour, agricultural labour, begging, organ trade and false marriage. Trafficking in children is on rise, and nearly 60% of the victims of trafficking are below 18 years of age (NCRB, 2005). According to NHRC report on Trafficking of Women and Children, in sex work, in India, the population of women and children engaged in sex work is stated to be between 70,000 and 1 million, of these, 30% are 20 years of age. Nearly 15% began sex work when they were below 15 and 25%, between 15 and 18 years. A rough estimate prepared by an NGO called End Children’s Prostitution in Asian Tourism reveals that there are around 2 million prostitutes in India (20% among them are minors).[7]

Migration:

Definition of Migration: 

Migration can be defined as "the movement of people from one place to another in search of better opportunities, better living and improved facilities. This process usually happens with people moving from the rural to the urban setting paving way for urbanization."[8] Migration could also be a result of natural calamity or any political, social or economical disaster.

There are two main types of migration: Internal migration, i.e. migration within one country and secondly International migration, which means the movement from one country to another. A good example of internal migration is the movement from East Germany to West Germany. A good example of international migration is the movement from third-world countries to Europe or America.

Reasons for migration can be divided into two main aspects. They are, ‘Push’ and ‘Pull’ factors.

‘Push’ factors are those in their own place, which force people to move away. For example, there may be civil wars or wars in general in the country, but political or religious oppression, climate changes, lack of jobs or simply poverty are all important push factors.

‘Pull’ factors are factors in the target country which encourage people to move. These include peace and safety, a chance of a better job, better education, social security, a better standard of living in general as well as political and religious freedom.

Movement for Migration:

The movement towards a destination may be either internal or external migration. In the case of movement across borders, the need for various documents, immigration and border checks influences the nature of the trafficking process. Greater resources and planning are needed for trafficking to be successful and so there is a great likelihood that organized crime networks across borders, smugglers and forgers are involved. Traffickers may use legal or illegal means of entry and exit.[9] Migration has been part of human history since its origin. The Biblical tradition is steeped in images of migration, from the migration of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.[10]

Causes for Migration:

1. Conflict-Induced Displacement:[11]

People are forced to flee their homes for one or more of the following reasons and where the state authorities are unable or unwilling to protect them there is armed conflict including 1.civil war; 2.generalized violence; and 3.persecution on the grounds of nationality, race, religion, political opinion or social groups.

A large proportion of these displaced people will flee across international borders in search of refuge. Some of them may seek asylum under international law, whereas others may prefer to remain anonymous, perhaps fearing that they may not be granted asylum and will be returned to the country from whence they fled. Many of the recent conflicts all over the world have been internal conflicts based on national, ethnic or religious separatist struggles. There has been a large increase in the number of refugees during this period as displacement has increasingly become a strategic tactic often used by both sides in the conflicts. In recent years, there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced person (IDPs), who currently far outnumber the world’s refugee population.

2. Development-Induced Displacement:[12]

These are people who are compelled to move as a result of policies and projects implemented to supposedly enhance ‘development’. Examples of this include large-scale infrastructure projects such as dams, roads, ports, airports; urban clearance initiatives; mining and deforestation; and the introduction of conservation parks/reserves and biosphere projects. Affected people usually remain within the borders of their home country. Although some are resettled, evidence clearly shows that very few of them are adequately compensated. This tends to be the responsibility of host governments, and interventions from outside are often deemed inappropriate.

3. Disaster-Induced Displacement:[13]

This category includes people displaced as a result of natural disasters (floods, volcanoes, landslides, land degradation, global warming) and human made disasters (industrial accidents, radioactivity). Clearly there is a good deal of overlap between these different types of disaster-induced displacement. For example, the impact of floods and landslides can be greatly exacerbated by deforestation and agricultural activities.

Types of Migrants:[14]

Refugees: The term ‘refugee’ has a long history of usage to describe ‘a person who sought refuge’ in broad and non-specific terms. However, there is also a legal definition of a refugee, which is enshrined in the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Article 1 of the convention defines a refugee as a person residing outside his or her country of nationality, who is unable or unwilling to return because of a well founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a political social group, or political opinion’. Some 150 of the world’s 200 or so states have undertaken to protect refugees and not return them to a country where they may be persecuted, by signing the 1951 Refugee Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol.

Asylum Seekers: Asylum seekers are people who have moved across an international border in search of protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention, but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined.

Internally Displaced Persons: The most widely used definition of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is the one presented in a 1992 report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which identifies them as ‘persons who have been forced to flee their homes suddenly or unexpectedly in large numbers as a result of armed conflict, internal strife, systematic violations of human rights or natural or man-made disasters, and who are within the territory of their own country’. Sometimes referred to as ‘internal refugees’, these people are in similar need of protection and assistance as refugees but, do not have the same legal institutional support as those who have managed to cross an international order. There is no specifically mandated body to provide assistance to IDPs, as there is with refugees.

 

Migrants-A Growing Concern:

There are a lot of Syrian migrants dying every day in different parts of Europe and a whole Tamil race who went as migrants from India to Srilanka were destroyed ruthlessly. All over the world migrants suffer humiliation, abuse and even face death due to the mentality of the native people and their retaliation towards these vulnerable minorities. “The long standing, rapidly growing reality of global migration presents another opportunity to ground theological analysis in a specific social location that emerges from the “joys and hopes, grieves and anxieties” of many marginalized people today.

The various councils and Episcopal conference have notable writings about the Pastoral Care of the Migrants. Pope Francis has spoken out frequently in defense of migrants worldwide since taking over as head of the Roman Catholic Church nearly three years ago. On Francis’ first trip outside Rome, the pope visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, where migrants from Africa trying to reach the European Union, frequently drown in rickety boats. “He has deep interest in the plight of migrants”, His visit to Lampedusa is a very palpable way of showing his solidarity with immigrants. In September 2013, in honor of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis called for “a change of attitude towards” immigrants away from “attitudes of defensiveness and fear”, urging greater acceptance.[15]

This has to be dealt with proper care and awareness has to be given both to the migrants and the host countries. Since migration cannot be stopped and the issue of migration has been prevalent from age old days, the society can be educated to handle such crisis situation. A helping hand by the Church can make things get smoother and even solve many issues. Thus the issue of migration is closely knitted with the issue of human trafficking.

Relationship between Trafficking and Migration:

Trafficking uses the process of migration. This usage occurs at the structural (conceptual) level as well as at the process (operational / action) level of the two phenomena. At the structural level, the migration phenomenon involves a shift in the physical space from a place of origin to a place of destination and its multiple associative aspects provide the basis and the context for trafficking. It is this population movement, moving for different duration that provides the backdrop for trafficking. The circumstances and situations that influence migration are usually examined in terms of push and pull factors.

Embracing people and Re-building homes: A Mission Agenda

‘Embracing and Re-building’ are important aspects in Christian mission. This has also been the core value of the Holy Bible. The struggle of the people is where the quest for God begins. The visibility of people on the streets begging to every vehicle that passes, is a sign the Church has ignored or less addressed the issue of migration and human trafficking. The homeless on the streets, for example, are the ones through whom one can see God as based on Matt 25:35-36.[16] How has the church responded to the issue of homelessness in India? Yes, the church has projects for the poor, orphans, persons with disability, girl children etc. However, the increasing number of persons on the roads lying at night and in search of shelter has shown that the Church is doing either nothing or very less in this regard. What about those trafficked and abused in various manners and left to beg on the streets? If Jesus was that man who was hungry, thirsty and naked lying on the road, then is it not the responsibility of the church to move out of its comfort zone and reach out to that person outside the Church's gate? On the other hand, Should the church respond to this issue only because of Jesus’ portrayal as a homeless?

It is an imperative of the church to respond to the crises of the world with diligence and precision. The world has seen humongous number of people migrating, and deaths caused by and for various reasons. Will the Church in India open its door and ‘get dirty’ as in the words of Pope Francis, who called the church to become dirty and embrace people and give them shelter to re-build homes? Jesus poses this as a challenge to the notion of how to serve God. The mission to the migrants and the survivors should be the mission agenda. This mission agenda will enrich the church’s mission to the margins into a mission from the margins that the church often speaks. A church as taught is not merely the physical structure or the institution, but we ourselves. It is in our renewal of minds and constant participation in the struggles of the people that we will understand what and how God wills us to be agents of mission in the world today. Therefore, let us join hands as one church to reach out to the migrants and the victors of human trafficking and embrace them and help each other in re-building this beautiful home we call ‘earth’.

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[1] Beyond Borders: Exploring Links between Trafficking, Globalisation, and Security. GAATW Working Paper Series. Bangkok: GAATW. 2010

[2] Bir Pal Singh & Gargi Rajvanshi, “Trafficking in Human Beings: A Critical Analysis” in Trafficking of Women and Children in India, edited by Awashesh Kumar Singh, Atul Pratap Singh and Parvez Ahmed Khan (New Delhi: Serials Publications, 2012), 170. 

[3] Singh & Rajvanshi, Trafficking of Women…, 171. 

[4] Singh & Rajvanshi, Trafficking of Women…, 173. 

[5] Singh & Rajvanshi, Trafficking of Women…, 173. 

[6] Singh & Rajvanshi, Trafficking of Women…, 174. 

[7] Singh & Rajvanshi, Trafficking of Women…, 175. 

[8] D.P. Singh, "Poverty and migration-Does moving help?" In india Urban peverty report 2009(New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 20019), 50-51 

[9] Goenka, Immoral Trafficking of…, 9. 

[10] Prema Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized Context of Jesus’ Birth” in Borders and Margins: Re-visioning Ministry and Mission, edited by Dexter S. Maben ( Bangalore: United Theological College, 2015), 350. 

[11] Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized…, 354. 

[12] Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized…, 355. 

[13] Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized…, 356. 

[14] Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized…, 356 – 358. 

[15] Vakayil, “Migration: The Marginalized…, 359. 

[16] 35. "For I was hungry, you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36. I was naked and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."